'Swing Vote' pundits can't get past logic referee

The cast of the mock game show "Swing Vote" debates politics during a live taping at Re-bar.

The cast of the mock game show "Swing Vote" debates politics during a live taping at Re-bar.

Photo: Grant M. Haller/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Photo: Grant M. Haller/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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The cast of the mock game show "Swing Vote" debates politics during a live taping at Re-bar.

The cast of the mock game show "Swing Vote" debates politics during a live taping at Re-bar.

Photo: Grant M. Haller/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

'Swing Vote' pundits can't get past logic referee

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Calling "Swing Vote" a political debate would be like calling the Seattle International Film Festival a series of movie nights.

There are several key differences.

One: Tammy Williams, the female referee wearing a black-and-white striped top with a black boa around her shoulders. Hands on hip, whistle in her mouth, she calls debaters on "unnecessary sarcasm" and "redundant" arguments.

Two: the host, Korby Sears, who Chuck Barris would have called a protégé back when "The Gong Show" emcee was in his prime.

Three: the political pundits -- The Stranger's political writer, Erica Barnett, and "neo-con defense analyst" Jim Melton, who wore a green "I (Heart) the High Quality Political Reporting at The Stranger." They offer none of the practiced prattle that usually comes out of the mouths of debate guests. Because they're not politicians, they actually say what they mean.

Four: the guy sitting between them, moderator Mike Min (aka Spike Spin). He's not afraid to get in their faces.

Five: the audience. They're not only encouraged to yell, but during a segment called a "Soapbox Zone," they make 10-second arguments in a pundit's favor -- for points.

This is a political debate where only one pundit will achieve a clear victory, one that's determined by the masses -- or, at least, all the masses that can fit into a bar.

Seattle School, the multitalented performers behind "Iron Composer," took over downtown Seattle's Re-bar nightclub for the event. After four live rehearsals at friends' houses since February, they debuted two episodes of "Swing Vote" Thursday as equal parts game show and political debate, with cocktails thrown in to lubricate participation by the 60 or so people who showed up.

The Seattle Channel taped it and will air the two half-hour episodes in about two weeks. Shots of the audience might include reactions from boredom to jubilation to one audience member "calmly weeping."

Seattle School hopes it takes off as a series.

"It's everything you want to do in a debate but can't," said Sears, who wears a three-piece suit and gets laughs when he introduces himself as Lando Calrissian or Jeff Stryker, depending on the episode. (If you don't get those references, you might not get the humor of the show.)

The audience, he said, needs to be unmuzzled. "Everyone goes in knowing what they think already. The whole value of it is an airing out. Afterward, everyone spills out into bars to continue the conversation."

The conversation in the first episode revolved around the high price of gas and the second, whether or not pharmacists should have a conscience clause that would allow them to not fill certain prescriptions.

Barnett successfully championed the need for a higher gas tax and alternative transportation, including hybrid cars.

"We're addicted to a resource that's finite," she said.

Although Melton drew allies who weren't crazy about higher gas prices and bantered with Barnett in mostly logical arguments, the audience largely agreed with Barnett, giving her a swing vote worth 11 points and the sweet taste of victory.

She repeated her victory in the second episode. By that time, the audience reacted with more gusto -- maybe because they were more liquored up or maybe because the topic evoked more emotions.

Audience members pelted Melton with boos and lined up behind Barnett, who zinged with succinct statements like, "This isn't a conscience clause. It's a refusal clause," or "It's not do as you're told; it's do your job."

As referee, civil court attorney and jazz singer Williams ruled the game, blowing her whistle judiciously for logic fouls, calling certain statements "redundant," "irrelevant," a "slippery slope argument" or an "incomplete thought" before subtracting a point from either pundit.

She also stopped an "audience melee" when the talking grew too much loud for the pundits, asking anyone who wanted to talk to step behind the soapbox.

When Williams improvised with the crowd, they responded in unrestricted mirth, as when she levied fouls because of "inappropriate use of expletive" or "unnecessary sarcasm."

In one case, she called a foul for "inappropriate 'Star Trek' reference" on moderator Min when he said to Melton, "The poor! I thought you said The Borg!"